Infeed conveyor for the prewrap table of wrapping machine



Nov. 3, 1964 w. F. STREMKE ETAL 3,154,900

INFEED CONVEYOR FOR THE PREWRAP TABLE OF WRAPPING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY Foa /v19. /noseslcl Nov. 3, 1964 w. F. STREMKE ETAL 3,154,900

INFEEID CONVEYOR FOR THE PREWRAP TABLE OF WRAPPING MACHINE Filed A rii 16. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY own/v 1?. qzacxesld Arrae/v: vs

United States Patent 3,154,900 INFEED CGNVEYOR FOR TIE PREWRAP TABLE 0F WRAPPING MACE Wiliiam F. Strernke, 4527 E. Qalle del Norte, Phoenix, Aria, and Wiiliarn F. Stremke, In, 3329 S. Springfield Ave, and Roman R. Pazderski, 3844 S. 15th Place, both of Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 187,496 4 Claims. (Cl. 53-206) This invention relates to improvements in package wrapping apparatus and particularly to an infeed conveyor for the pre-wrap table of a wrapping machine.

The present invention is intended for use with a wrapping machine which may be of the type shown in United States Patent No. 2,917,886, which has a prewrap table as is also shown in United States Patent No. 2,840,962.

As disclosed in the prior patents aforesaid, prewrapping is accomplished by first placing manually an unwrapped package on the corner of a stack of diamond-shaped sheets of wrapping film. The operator then folds the top sheet in the stack over the package, as described in United States Patent 2,840,962 aforesaid and seals the partially wrapped sheet on a hot plate. The wrapping is completed automatically in a Wrapping machine, to which the operator transfers the partially wrapped package.

Heretofore, the operator draws upon a quantity of unwrapped packages in a bin or on a table adjacent the prewrap table and from which the packages are transferred manually to the prewrap table.

According to the present invention, an infeed conveyor feeds the unwrapped packages automatically in spaced sequence toward the prewrap table and deposits the packages successively on the appropriate corner of the sheet stack. The infeed conveyor functions substantially in timed coordination with the operators manual manipulations of the package in the prewrap step. Accordingly, the operator is free to concentrate on the prewrap manipulations and need not concern himeslf with flow of packages to the prewrap table.

The conveyor mechanism adjustable with respect to the point at which the of the present invention is prewrap table to adjust the packages are discharged into the sheet stack. Accordingly, packages of different sizes and shapes may be accurately positioned with respect to the sheet stack.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

As also shown in the United States patents aforesaid, a prewrap table supports a tray 11 having shallow sides 12 which intersect at a corner bracket 13 provided with a pin or screw keeper 14 for a stack 15 of wrapping sheets, typically cellophane film. Packages which are partially wrapped manually at the prewrap table are passed over the hot plate 16 to partially seal the package and are then transferred to conveyor table 17 having conveyor chain 18 with push lugs 19 which feed the partially wrapped packages into a packaging machine such as the one shown in United States Patent 2,917,886 aforesaid.

As an initial part of the prewrap manipulation, packages 22 are placed on the corner 9 of the tray 11 which 3,154,900 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 is opposite the keeper 14. Accordingly, the major portion of the uppermost sheet of the stack 15 is exposed at the side of the package and can be folded over the top of the package as is described in United States Patent 2,840,962 aforesaid.

The conveyor mechanism herein disclosed will automatically deposit packages 22 successively at equally timed intervals on the corner 9 of the tray 11. The packages 22 typically arrive on a table or apron conveyor 23 having a chain 24 with pusher arms 25. In the disclosed embodiment, apron conveyor 23 has its longitu dinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the infeed conveyor mechanism 26. The pusher arms 32 of the infeed conveyor 26 pick up packages deposited by conveyor 23 on the table 27 of conveyor mechanism 26 and feeds these in the direction of arrow 28 onto the corner 9 of tray 11.

The propelling means for the conveyor mechanism 26 consists in the disclosed embodiment of an overhead chain 31 provided with spaced pusher arms or blades 32 which are pivotally connected on pins 29 to selected links 33, 34 of the chain 31. Chain 31 is supported on an adjustably fixed carriage 30 having side rails 35 in which cross shafts 36, 37 for the chain sprockets 38, 39 are rotatably supported.

Sprocket 39 is driven through shaft 37 from end sprocket 42 by chain 43. Chain 43 is powered by the gear set indicated generally by reference character 44, which is driven by the chain 45 connected to sprocket 46 on the shaft 47, which also drives the sprocket 48 for chain 24 on the apron conveyor 23. Shaft 47 is driven by chain 51 through the gear reducer 52 of electric motor 53 or the like. Accordingly, conveyor chains 24, 31 are synchronized to operate at the same rate and to deliver uunwrapped packages 22 in equally spaced intervals of time to the tray 11.

The rails 35 of the adjustably fixed carriage 30 are slidably supported on fixed frame 54 on bearing blocks 56 which ride on side rails attached to the fixed frame 54. The movable chain conveyor carriage 30 is also provided with position adjusting mechanism including a crank 57, crank shaft 58, and pinion 59 which coacts with rack 62 fixed to the frame 54 for shifting the carriage 30 forwardly or rearwardly along the axis of movement of conveyor chain 31 when the crank 57 is turned. Accordingly, the carriage 36 can be adjusted longitudinally of the conveyor 26 to adjust the point at which it will discharge packages22 onto the tray 11.

Tension in drive chain 43 is maintained notwithstanding adjustment of the carriage 30 by reason of the idler sprocket 63 which is mounted on the end of a swing lever 64 which is biased by tension spring 65 to hold the chain 43 taut. The chain 43 also passes over a fixed idler sprocket 66 mounted by bracket 67 to the fixed frame 54.

When the adjustable carriage 39 is moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 4, the spacing between sprockets 39 and 41 is increased, thus to narrow the loop path of chain 43 and pull sprocket 63 to the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, and against the bias of spring 65. When carriage 30 is moved to the left in FIG. 4, the spacing between sprockets 39, 41 is reduced, thus to increase the width of the loop of chain 43 and spring 65 pulls sprocket 63 to the left to maintain the chain taut.

In order to assure the deposit of the packages 22 on the corner 9 of the tray 11, as shown in FIG. 3, there is provided an apron or ramp 69 pivotally connected on hinge 68 to the edge of table 27. By reason of the hinge 68, 'the ramp 69 can raise on the height of the wrapper sheet stack 15. The discharge edge 72 of the ramp 69 is cut on a diagonal to match with the proximate edge of the diamond shaped and lower, depending tray 11, so as to not to encroach onto the stack any more than is necessary simply to lead the package 22 onto the stack.

In operation, the unwrapped packages 22 are successively fed by chain conveyor 23, 24 onto the table 27 of infeed conveyor 26. Packages thus deposited are picked up by the respective pusher arms 32 on the overhead chain conveyor 31 and are pushed over the ramp 69 onto the corner of the wrapper stack 15 in the tray 11.

Because of the hinged connection 29 of the pusher arms 32 to the links 33, 34 of chain 31, the pusher arms 32 will discontinue pressure against the packages 22 as soon as the roller 73 on bell crank arms 74 loses contact with the top rail 75 of the guide channel 76 in which the roller 73 rides. Rail 75 runs out adjacent shaft 36 and sprocket 33. As soon as roller 73 loses contact with the top rail and the chain link 33 is carried around the end of sprocket 38, arm 32 will collapse against the chain, as is illustrated in the drawings.

Channel 76 and track 75 are mounted on carriage 3i and, accordingly, are shifted longitudinally of the conveyor mechanism 2%, along with carriage 36, by manipulating the crank 57. Accordingly, adjustment of carriage 30 adjusts the point at which pusher arm 32 loses pressure contact with the package 22. The crank 57 is manipulated so that the particular package undergoing processing is deposited exactly on the corner of the tray 11, having regard for its specific size and shape. Channel 76 is curved concentric with shaft 37 and is inclined at 89 to gradually pivot the arm 32 to package engaging position as it rounds the corner at the rear end of conveyor 26.

The slight encroachment of the leading edge 72 of the hinged ramp 69 does not interfere with the prewrapping operation, the wrapper simply being pulled slightly laterally from beneath the ramp edge 72 in the course of lifting the partially Wrapped package off the stack for transfer over the hot plate 16 onto conveyor 17.

What is claimed is:

1. Package wrapping apparatus comprising:

(a) a manual prewrap station including means to position a stack of Wrapping sheets,

(b) infeed conveyor means for feeding unwrapped packages of various lengths in spaced sequence toward said station and for depositing said packages successively at said station, said infeed conveyor means further comprising:

(c) means for depositing said packages at a predetermined position with respect to the stack to facilitate the wrapping thereof,

(d) means for adjusting the infeed conveyor means with respect to said station and in the direction of movement of said infeed conveyor means to properly position the package with respect to the stack of wrapping sheets regardless of the length of the package. 2. Package wrapping apparatus comprising: (a) a manual prewrap station including means to position a stack of Wrapping sheets,

(b) infeed conveyor means for feeding unwrapped packages in spaced sequence toward said station and for depositing said packages successively at said station,

said infeed conveyor means further comprising:

(c) a ramp which overlies the margin of the wrapper sheet stack and over which the infeed conveyor means discharges the packages onto the stack,

(d) said ramp having a support on which it is vertically shiftable to accommodate for stacks of different heights.

3. Package wrapping apparatus comprising:

(a) a manual prewrap station including means to position a stack of wrapping sheets,

(1')) infeed conveyor means for feeding unwrapped packages of various lengths in spaced sequence to- Ward said station and for depositing said packages successively at said station,

said infeed conveyor means further comprising:

(0) a table,

(d) a frame fixed with respect to the table,

(e) package pushing arms having propelling means supported by said frame and movable with respect to said table,

(f) said propelling means comprises a chain and a carriage supporting the chain,

(g) said carriage being adjustably mounted on the frame for adjustment in the direction of movement of the infeed conveyor means to properly position the package with respect to the stack of wrapping sheets regardless of the length of the package.

4. Package wrapping apparatus comprising:

(a) a manual prewrap station including means to position a stack of Wrapping sheets,

(b) a first conveyor for feeding unwrapped packages of various length in spaced sequence toward said station and for depositing said packages successively onto said stack,

(c) a second conveyor for feeding such packages laterally into the path of said first conveyor and in timed relation to the movement thereof,

(d) means for adjusting said first conveyor with respect both to said station and to said second conveyor and in the direction of movement of said first conveyor to properly position the package with respect to the stack of wrapping sheets regardless of the length of the package.

Hensgen Aug. 11, 1959 Stremke Dec. 22 1959 

1. PACKAGE WRAPPING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A MANUAL PREWRAP STATION INCLUDING MEANS TO POSITION A STACK OF WRAPPING SHEETS, (B) INFEED CONVEYOR MEANS FOR FEEDING UNWRAPPED PACKAGES OF VARIOUS LENGTHS IN SPACED SEQUENCE TOWARD SAID STATION AND FOR DEPOSITING SAID PACKAGES SUCCESSIVELY AT SAID STATION, SAID INFEED CONVEYOR MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING: (C) MEANS FOR DEPOSITING SAID PACKAGES AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE STACK TO FACILITATE THE WRAPPING THEREOF, (D) MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE INFEED CONVEYOR MEANS WITH RESPECT TO SAID STATION AND IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID INFEED CONVEYOR MEANS TO PROPERLY POSITION THE PACKAGE WITH RESPECT TO THE STACK OF WRAPPING SHEETS REGARDLESS OF THE LENGTH OF THE PACKAGE. 